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UTSI Leads Federal Research Grant Program

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee Space Institute has received a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help stimulate federal research and education in Tennessee.

The grant will be used to create the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

UTSI researcher Dr. George Garrison heads this program, which will plan ways to boost and maintain Tennessee’s competitiveness for federal dollars to fund research, development and education.

“I congratulate Dr. Garrison and his team members for winning this EPSCoR grant,” UTSI Chief Operating Officer Dr. John Caruthers said. “This will provide us leverage and open a funding channel to federal agencies that might not otherwise be available to Tennessee.”

The grant management team will include Dr. George Garrison of UTSI, Dr. Arlene Garrison of the University of Tennessee, Dr. Peter Bridson of the University of Memphis and Dr. David Hercules of Vanderbilt University.

A state EPSCoR committee will be created that will include engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and technology transfer experts.

Dr. George Garrison said they want to improve science and technology instruction for students by strengthening relationships between undergraduate schools and research universities, which will lead to more high-tech jobs for Tennesseans.

“This program provides us the opportunity to have a positive impact on higher education for science and engineering in Tennessee,” Garrison said.